Solar Photovoltaic Technology Patent Landscape
Solar Photovoltaic Technology Patent Landscape in 2026
The solar PV patent field spans 7,268 patent families and is moderately concentrated, with Canon leading the top tier ahead of a tight cluster of Chinese module makers and European research institutions. The field has plateaued near its 2021 peak on an annual basis, signalling maturity rather than a structural decline, while semiconductor device IP continues to dominate the technology mix.
Canon leads a moderately concentrated field with strong Chinese challenger momentum
Canon ranks first among the top hundred filers, followed closely by the French Commissariat a l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA), Zhejiang Jinko Solar, Trina Solar, and Jinko Solar — with those five together accounting for 18% of the combined patent records of the hundred largest filers.
The top-five share of 18% indicates moderate concentration: no single applicant dominates the field outright, and the gap between Canon’s position and the second tier is narrow enough that challengers with strong recent momentum — notably Zhejiang Jinko Solar and Jinko Solar — could close or exceed it in the next reporting window.
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canon Inc. | 2,989 | |
| 2 | French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) | 2,200 | |
| 3 | Zhejiang Jinko Solar Co., Ltd. | 2,194 | |
| 4 | Trina Solar Co., Ltd. | 1,974 | |
| 5 | Jinko Solar Co., Ltd. | 1,952 | |
| 6 | Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd. | 1,950 | |
| 7 | Maxeon Solar Technologies Pte. Ltd. | 1,410 | |
| 8 | First Solar Inc. | 1,386 | |
| 9 | Sharp Corporation | 1,280 | |
| 10 | SunPower Corporation | 1,268 |
| # | Applicant | Patent records | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) | 1,150 | |
| 12 | CSI Solar Power Group Co., Ltd. | 1,109 | |
| 13 | Canadian Solar (Changshu) Electric Power Technology Co., Ltd. | 1,107 | |
| 14 | Dow Global Technologies LLC | 1,053 | |
| 15 | Mitsubishi Electric Corporation | 953 | |
| 16 | Huawei Digital Power Technologies Co., Ltd. | 948 | |
| 17 | CSI Cells Co., Ltd. | 938 | |
| 18 | Fraunhofer Society | 901 | |
| 19 | State Grid Corporation of China | 877 | |
| 20 | LG Electronics Inc. | 824 |
Canon’s leadership reflects a long-established semiconductor device portfolio, while the presence of three China’s largest module manufacturer. The French CEA’s second-place position underscores the continued relevance of publicly funded research institutes in foundational PV IP.
Figures for 2024 and 2025 are under-counted due to standard patent publication lag of 18–24 months; the apparent decline in those years should not be read as a real contraction in filing activity. Longer-window growth, applicant concentration, and technology-route coverage are therefore more reliable signals than the latest-year bar alone.
Annual activity has plateaued near its 2021 peak; semiconductor devices dominate the technology mix
The filing trend chart tracks annual volume from 2017 through 2026, while the technology composition chart shows the distribution of patent records across IPC classes — together they reveal both the pace and the focal points of innovation in the field.
Annual filing trend
Annual filings grew from 844 in 2017 to a peak of 995 in 2021, then eased to the 955–970 range in 2022–2023. The sharp drop in 2024 and near-zero 2025–2026 counts reflect publication lag, not a real decline, and should be treated as incomplete data rather than a trend signal.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaTechnology composition
H01L (semiconductor devices) is the dominant branch by a wide margin, reflecting the centrality of cell-level device engineering. H02S (photovoltaic and solar power generation) is the second largest branch, capturing system-level and module IP. Smaller but meaningful branches — H02J (power supply and grid systems), F24S (solar heat collectors), H10K (organic semiconductors), and E04D (roofing and roof coverings) — illustrate diversification into grid integration, building-integrated PV, and hybrid thermal-electric systems.
↗ Hover for values · click a bar to ask EurekaHighly cited patent families surfaced by the query
Citation-heavy patent families returned by the query. Use this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents.
Photovoltaic cell with patterned contacts
Photovoltaic cells and processes that mitigate recombination losses of photogenerated carriers are provided. To reduce recombination losses, diffuse doping layers in active photovoltaic (PV) elements are coated with patterns of dielectric material(s) that reduce contact between metal contacts and the active PV element. Various patterns can be utilized, and… (excerpt from the patent abstract)
| # | Patent | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nanostructure and nanocomposite based compositions… | 642 |
| 2 | System and method for monitoring photovoltaic powe… | 545 |
| 3 | Photovoltaic module framing system with integral e… | 491 |
| 4 | Thermally regulated photovoltaic roofing assembly | 476 |
| 5 | Circuit arrangement for a photovoltaic system | 474 |
| 6 | Fabrication of thin-film, flexible photovoltaic mo… | 461 |
| 7 | High-efficiency, monolithic, multi-bandgap, tandem… | 460 |
| 8 | Producing thin film photovoltaic modules with high… | 447 |
Ranked by total forward citations. Citation counts favour older and broadly cited patent families, and broad or adjacent patents may appear when they match the search scope. Treat this section as citation context, not as a curated list of the most topic-specific patents. Some patent titles may be shown in their original, non-English language where an accurate translation could not be guaranteed.
What the competitive structure means for R&D investment decisions
Four structural dimensions — maturity, concentration, collaboration, and geography — frame where incremental and disruptive opportunities remain open and where established positions are hardest to challenge.
Field is at a plateau: core cell IP is crowded, system and integration IP is still moving
Annual filings have plateaued near the 2021 peak, consistent with a mature technology stage. The dominant H01L semiconductor device branch is dense and well-defended, making incremental cell-efficiency gains harder to protect as white space. R&D teams seeking defensible positions should focus on adjacent integration areas — grid interface, building integration, and thin-film process IP — where the filing density is materially lower.
Lifecycle: Maturity18% top-five share signals moderate openness; no single player has a lock
The top five filers hold 18% of the combined patent records of the hundred largest filers, a level that indicates meaningful but not insurmountable concentration. The narrow gap between Canon and the second tier, and the rapid momentum of Zhejiang Jinko Solar (+97%) and Jinko Solar (+130%), suggests the ranking is still dynamic. New entrants with focused portfolios in under-served branches can realistically accumulate a competitive position.
Moderate concentrationCo-filing activity is concentrated within the Jinko corporate family and with IBM
The most active co-filing pair is Zhejiang Jinko Solar and Jinko Solar, with 266 jointly filed records — reflecting coordinated IP strategy across the group’s Chinese entities. Zhejiang Jinko Solar also co-files with Jinko Solar Haining (54 records) and Shanghai Jinko Green Energy Management (49 records). IBM co-files with the Egypt Nanotechnology Center (21 records) and with its UK IP department (10 records). Huawei Digital Power and Huawei Technologies co-filed 10 records. Outside these clusters, cross-organisation collaboration is sparse, pointing to an opportunity for research institutes and module makers to build joint portfolios in grid integration and building-integrated PV.
Intra-group clusteringUS is the primary filing destination; EPO and PCT provide secondary coverage
The United States is the lead jurisdiction by a substantial margin, followed by Europe (EPO) and WIPO (PCT). Australia and Canada represent meaningful secondary markets. Coverage thins sharply beyond these five jurisdictions, with Singapore, the Philippines, South Africa, and New Zealand accounting for a combined small share of records. Applicants without US filing coverage are leaving their most commercially significant market partially unprotected.
US-centric filing geographyGo beyond the landscape: Eureka’s TRIZ Solution agent breaks down an R&D problem and returns patented concept solutions, each with a technical approach and cited patent & literature evidence.
| Applicant | Collaborator | Co-filings |
|---|---|---|
| Zhejiang Jinko Solar Co., Ltd. | Jinko Solar Co., Ltd. | 266 |
| Zhejiang Jinko Solar Co., Ltd. | Jinko Solar (Haining) Co., Ltd. | 54 |
| Zhejiang Jinko Solar Co., Ltd. | Shanghai Jinko Green Energy Management Co., Ltd. | 49 |
| IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) | Egypt Nanotechnology Center | 21 |
| Jinko Solar Co., Ltd. | Jinko Solar (Haining) Co., Ltd. | 20 |
| Saint-Gobain | Maxeon Solar Technologies Pte. Ltd. | 17 |
| French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) | Colas S.A. | 13 |
| Zhejiang Jinko Solar Co., Ltd. | Jinko Green Energy (Shanghai) Management Co., Ltd. | 11 |
| IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) | IBM UNITED KINGDOM LTD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEPAR… | 10 |
| Huawei Digital Power Technologies Co., Ltd. | Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. | 10 |
Co-filing pairs, ranked by the number of jointly-filed patent families.
Canon anchors the semiconductor device tier; Zhejiang Jinko Solar leads the high-momentum challengers
The applicant ranking spans established electronics conglomerates, specialist PV manufacturers, and publicly funded research institutes. Momentum data reveals that Chinese module makers are growing their portfolios at rates far outpacing legacy players.
Canon
Canon holds the top position with 2,989 patent records, concentrated heavily in H01L 31 (semiconductor devices, 362 records in that subclass) and H01L 21 (semiconductor processing, 69 records), with a secondary presence in E04D 13 (roofing and roof coverings, 23 records). This profile reflects a long-standing focus on photovoltaic cell materials and process IP rather than system-level integration. Momentum data is not available for Canon in the recent-period breakdown, consistent with a mature, stable portfolio rather than an accelerating one.
patent records: 2,989Zhejiang Jinko Solar
Zhejiang Jinko Solar has 2,194 patent records and is filing at a sharply accelerating pace, with recent-period filings up +97% versus the prior comparable period — the strongest volume growth among any named applicant with disclosed momentum. Its technology focus is anchored in H01L 31 (329 records), with meaningful positions in H02S 30 and H02S 40 (system and installation IP), indicating an increasingly integrated portfolio spanning cell, module, and system levels. Combined with the broader Jinko corporate family, this entity represents the most rapidly expanding IP position in the current ranking.
patent records: 2,194| Applicant | Recent (3 yrs) | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| First Solar Inc. | 41 | ▼ -32% |
| Zhejiang Jinko Solar Co., Ltd. | 250 | ▲ +97% |
| Saint-Gobain | 18 | ▼ -60% |
| Huawei Digital Power Technologies Co., Ltd. | 138 | ▼ -9% |
| Jinko Solar Co., Ltd. | 189 | ▲ +130% |
| GAF Energy LLC | 157 | ▲ +118% |
| French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) | 29 | ▼ -24% |
Under-served branches adjacent to the dominant semiconductor device core
The following IPC branches sit at the lower-share end of the technology composition within this corpus. They are observations of relative sparsity; where they also carry plausible technical value and a realistic entry path, they are flagged as worth monitoring.
H10K · Organic Semiconductors
H10K (organic semiconductors, including perovskite-adjacent and OLED-derived thin-film structures) accounts for only 2% of branch records in this corpus — sparse relative to the dominant H01L branch. Given the strong published research trajectory for perovskite-silicon tandem cells and organic PV, this low patent density may reflect genuine white space in protective IP around deposition processes, interface engineering, and stability encapsulation. Entrants with process know-how from display or OLED manufacturing have a realistic technology transfer path into this branch.
Search this in Eureka →E04D · Roofing & Building-Integrated PV
E04D (roofing and roof coverings) holds only 2% of branch records, despite building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) being a recognised growth segment in residential and commercial construction markets. The sparse filing density relative to cell-level IP suggests that structural integration, weatherproofing, thermal regulation, and aesthetic compatibility remain under-protected. GAF Energy’s strong momentum in H02S 20 (rooftop mounting and integration) confirms commercial interest in this space, but the E04D branch itself remains lightly contested, offering a realistic entry point for construction-sector players or specialist BIPV manufacturers.
Search this in Eureka →How leading applicants differ by technology route
Strength of each leader across the main technology routes.
| Player | H01L 31 · Semiconductor devices | H02S 40 · Photovoltaic / solar power generation | H02S 20 · Photovoltaic / solar power generation | H02S 50 · Photovoltaic / solar power generation | H02S 30 · Photovoltaic / solar power generation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saint-Gobain | Strong · 266 | Moderate · 114 | Emerging · 53 | Absent | Moderate · 70 |
| First Solar Inc. | Strong · 439 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Emerging · 21 |
| IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) | Strong · 356 | Emerging · 53 | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Zhejiang Jinko Solar Co., Ltd. | Strong · 329 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Emerging · 43 |
| Canon Inc. | Strong · 362 | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| Huawei Digital Power Technologies Co., Ltd. | Absent | Strong · 191 | Absent | Strong · 148 | Absent |
| GAF Energy LLC | Absent | Strong · 109 | Strong · 206 | Absent | Emerging · 24 |
Frequently asked questions
Canon is the top-ranked filer with 2,989 patent records in this corpus, followed by the French CEA with 2,200, Zhejiang Jinko Solar with 2,194, Trina Solar with 1,974, and Jinko Solar with 1,952. These five together account for 18% of the combined patent records of the hundred largest filers.
The field is at a maturity stage. Annual filings peaked at 995 in 2021 and have since plateaued in the 955–970 range through 2023. The 2024 and 2025 figures are incomplete due to publication lag and should not be interpreted as a real decline.
The United States is the lead jurisdiction with 10,987 patent records, substantially ahead of Europe (EPO) at 4,148 and WIPO (PCT) at 2,604. Australia (1,144) and Canada (616) are the next most active jurisdictions in the corpus.
Among applicants with disclosed momentum data, Jinko Solar shows the fastest growth at +130% in recent filings versus the prior period, followed by GAF Energy at +118% and Zhejiang Jinko Solar at +97%. First Solar (-32%) and Saint-Gobain (-60%) are contracting their filing rates.
H01L (semiconductor devices) is the dominant branch by a wide margin, reflecting the central role of cell-level device engineering. H02S (photovoltaic and solar power generation systems) is second. Smaller but active branches include H02J (power supply and grid systems), F24S (solar heat collectors), H10K (organic semiconductors), and E04D (roofing and building integration).
H10K (organic semiconductors, 2% branch share) and E04D (roofing and roof coverings, 2% branch share) are among the relatively sparse branches within this corpus. H02J (power supply and grid systems, 4% share) and F24S (solar heat collectors, 3% share) also represent lower filing density compared to the dominant H01L semiconductor device branch.
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Disclaimer. This page is generated from PatSnap Eureka data drawn from a limited snapshot of global patent and scientific-literature records, and is provided for general information and reference only.
Patent data carries inherent limitations: recent filings (typically the most recent 18–24 months) are under-counted due to standard publication lag; counts may be reported at either a patent-family or a patent-record basis and are not always directly comparable; classification, applicant-name, and citation data may contain errors, duplicates, or omissions; and the underlying search query defines and constrains the scope shown. As a result, the analysis may be incomplete or inaccurate and may not reflect the full technology landscape.
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